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HARMONY TIMBER FLOORS | Free Call Australia Wide 1 300 725 257 |
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Engineered Timber Floors Q: Can timber floors be placed directly onto concrete floors? A: Yes- subject to the following conditions. Concrete floors should have a relative humidity- moisture content of less than 60%, to check the humidity moisture hygrometer is used, if this is not available then you can do the following check yourself. Place a clear plastic sheet firmly over the floor, you can check an area of 1 square meter, tape the ends well and create a firm seal, leave this for two days, if moisture has formed underneath the plastic then the floor is too moist and a suitable moisture barrier is required. The recommended moisture barrier is a minimum of 200micron builders plastic, this is placed on the floor, allowing for the ends to go up the wall, which can be later trimmed, the overlap must be at least 300mm and be well taped, ensuring no moisture will escape onto the floor area Q: What condition must the sub floor be, before Installation? Answer: You can lay good quality Engineered timber flooring on most surfaces, as long as they are clean, level and dry; the following are good examples: Such as old concrete, Timber board, Old timber floorboards, Old tiles, as long as they are structurally fixed and not loose. Q: Does the sub floor have to be perfectly level, before installation? A: Most timber floors can be laid on floors that are not perfect, you can get away with a sub floor that has a hollow or high spot of no greater than 2-3mm over a two square meter area, example, if you place a straight edge on the sub floor, and there are slight variations, such as hollows, then you should be able to get away with it, as underlay will take up most of the fill, but if you have a situation where the floor is level and say a nail or stone is sticking out the floor by 2mm, then this has to be removed, the variation must be spread over an area of at least two square meters. There are good leveling compounds that are cement based available at most hardware outlets, these are mixed with water and spread over the low points and are self leveling, meaning that they find a straight level and fill that area, its worth going to the small expense of using a leveling compound on a poor sub floor to bring it up to standard. Q: Do Timber floors have a short life cycle? A: A timber floor will give service for many years, to prolong the life of a timber floor, follow the maintenance instructions. Q: Can Timber Floors be installed in a bathroom? A: No, Timber is a hydroscopic material, which means that it reacts to changes in the surrounding environments, more importantly moisture, bathrooms are normally very humid environments, we say no to bathrooms. Q: Can I use under floor heating with Harmony & Trevo? A: Yes, under floor heating will not affect the qualities of these brands Q: Would you install a Timber floor in a kitchen? A: Yes, remember to place a rug in front of the sink be careful when replacing the appliances, such as dishwasher, that they fit, as most floors are 19mm higher with the under felt, after installation Q: If the floor is damaged in a certain area, can it be repaired? A: Yes, it can be repaired by either removing the damaged floorboards and replaced with new, or in some cases with minor scratches, these can be touched up with a special marker pen. Q: Will a timber floor scratch or indent? A: Timber is only as strong as the species itself. The JANKA test (determines how hard a surface is) it refers to Oak as approximately 1360 hardness with very high durability, this makes for a durable floor, however, as with all species of timber floors, it can be indented or scratched. It is our subjective view that a real timber floor ages with beauty in time, no matter how many scars it bears. Question: Is there a difference between single strip double strip and three strips timber floors Answer: Yes! there is a huge difference between the three. Single strip is far superior in looks to two or three strip product, the top layer for single strip is made out from a full piece whereas the two and three strips are made up of smaller pieces, which do not have the authentic look about them, with the two and three strips, you can see the join lines that it is not an authentic floor, rather spend a little more to get a better overall look. The end result is what is most important, you have a huge investment in your home, don't cut corners for what's best for your property. and your future returns on your investment. Question: Is underlay required when installing the timber floor using the floating method? Answer: Yes, Underlay is used to take out the unevenness in the sub floor; there are always slight highs & lows, in a sub floor. It will also reduce the drumming sound or noise effect made by foot traffic, it must also be present to validate the manufactures warranty, if the direct glue-down method was applied, then it would not be necessary to use an underlayment, as the polyurethane adhesive is a pliable drying glue and will take up most areas of unevenness. Q: Is it necessary to acclimatize timber floors? A: Yes, with good quality ENGINEERED ply-backed timber floors such as Harmony & Trevo the floor is far more stable due to the ply backing which is less likely to move, if the timber has been shipped in from another area, we suggest that two days will be sufficient, by leaving the sealed boxes on the site, it is not necessary to open the boxes. Question: Why do some species of timber vary so much, can I choose all the same looking boards? Answer: Timber is a natural product made by nature, variations occur differently in different species of timber, this is why timber is so beautiful, because each piece is an individual, and the overall effect tells the story of why timber is today becoming so popular. The floors are made up from how the tree has been cut; to sort colors would be a difficult task, however. There are a few species of timber that do not have as extreme color changes, such as Kempas & Maple Q: Will the timber color change? A: Yes Timber oxides from the sunlight as it matures, this occurs naturally & should be of no concern as the variation is slight. Q: Why is it important to leave room for expansion when laying the floor? MORE EXPANTION IS BETTER THAN LESS, NEVER UNDERSETIMATE ALWAYS ALLOW MORE A: Timber like all materials expands and contracts, however Engineered Timber, constructed on a cross-ply base, does not absorb as much moisture as a solid timber floor would, therefore is more stable in its movement, it is required that at least 10mm expansion joint is left on the perimeter of the floor, which is covered either with a Scotia or skirting (wall trim), for greater areas we suggest you use a 20mm Scotia as well. Timber also expands more in the width, rather than the length, this is why solid timber sometimes leaves evidence of grooves where they have been joined, these appear as if they have slightly cupped if you look down the length of the floor. For larger floors of over 8 meters we recommend 1.4mm per meter gap, example 8x 1.4 = 13.6 or 14mm. Refer to instructions. Q: Can an Engineered timber floor be laid as a DIY product? A: Yes, particularly the "Floating Method", they are relatively easy to install, each pack is supplied with fitting instructions for the DIY market, and basics tools are required to complete the task. Q: How long do you have to wait before you can walk on an Engineered Timber Floor? A: About two hours after you have glued the "tongue & Groove", (floating Method) you can lightly walk on the floor, its best to leave to dry overnight before replacing heavy furniture, but if you have to you can still have access to most areas, just exercise caution, however the glue does take several days to harden, it still has sufficient hold-fast properties. Q: Is it cost effective to select a timber floor over less costly material? A: Yes! A survey taken in the USA, and we quote the following: According to the 'NATIONAL WOOD FLOORING ASSOCIATION (NWFA) ' and 'residential REAL ESTATE AGENTS', say that: Homes with real timber floors hold their value better, they sell faster and they fetch higher prices, 58% of real estate agents said that a house with timber floors would fetch a higher price timber floors are a true investment, which will be enjoyed for many generations Q: Is there a preferred way in which direction the timber should be Installed? Answer: It is best to lay the boards in the direction of the incoming sun light; if you are laying on top of an existing timber floor then you should lay them cross wise to the existing floors. Start from a solid wall, check to see the wall is straight, and its best to begin in the right hand corner working away from the wall, if the wall is not straight, then draw a line matching the shape of the wall on the first boards, and cut them into shape, always use the spacer blocks before starting . Q: What is a solid floor? Answer: A solid floor is manufactured from a piece of wood and used "as is", there is no "re-engineering taken place", solid because of its structure will tend to move more through climatic changes, and will not be as stable as an engineered product Q: What is the difference between micro beveled edge and square edge timber floors? A: A Beveled edge, features a slight angle on the top face edge of the timber strip, a beveled edge can help mask slight sub floor imperfections, they give a sophisticated appearance, a beveled edge also protects the wear edge where two planks are joined together if there is a slight "over wood", meaning one board is slightly higher, the high side would wear quickly, in the case of a beveled floor, the micro bevel will ease the over wood problem. With a square edge, the floors meet face to face, a precision manufactured square edge floor should have no over wood Q: What is a laminate floor and is this timber? A: No, a laminate is not a timber floor, a laminate floor is a product which is made to look like timber, a foil paper image is laminated to a reconstructed timber ( MDF ), the product is a lot cheaper than a genuine timber engineered floor, the laminate top is in most cases very strong and resistant to burns, but its very difficult to replicate "real wood", most laminates have a click system of fitting and do not use glue as a fixing agent, this can cause problems as moisture will expand the joints after time, engineered floors that are laid the floating method use a D3 water resistant adhesive, which creates a water resistant top floor barrier protecting your floor from damage after a spill. Laminate are a cheap alternative, with today's options, with a little more money you can get a real timber floor Real Timber Floors are floors for a lifetime. Q: What is a floating Floor? A: A floating floor is a floor that is placed by either clicking or gluing the boards together on an underlay foam cushion, generally 2mm to 3mm thick. The whole floor floats as one floor allowing for less distortion from movement such as expansion & contraction, today Floating is becoming the preferred way, however because of cheaper laminates, a portion of the public think that floating floors means a laminate floor, this of coarse is not true, if a quality floor has been laid well using the floating method, then you have a good product .A floating floor is none structural. Floating has been used in Europe since 1947 and soon will be the preferred way of installing. To lay a quality floating Floor: --Use a quality engineered timber floor--Prepare the sub floor, clean and make sure its dry--Use a quality underlay material--Use a quality D3 Adhesive in the joints--always leave sufficient expansion gaps against the walls and perimeter of the floor. Q: Can you wash a timber floor? Answer: No, you should never apply water direct onto a timber floor, or even a damp mop, damp can have many variations, it could be slightly wet or very wet. To really look after your investment, clean by applying a 'MIST' cleaner, this is sprayed lightly into the air just above the point of cleaning, the mist falls onto the timber and slightly wets the floor while you mop. Harmony has a quality CITRUS MIST-CLEAN, which is reasonably priced
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